The use of fans or blowers to assist in the removal of dust, lint and debris from industrial knitting machines is well known, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,412,090 to Baumann; 5,175,905 to Gutschmit; 3,072,321 to King, Jr.; and 2,063,874 to Hodge. Such blowers develop a stream of air which is directed at the equipment to be cleaned. The flow of air drives accumulated lint, dust and other debris from the equipment surfaces, thus contributing to continued maintenance-free operation.
The rotating blades of the fan units present a potential hazard to the personnel in proximity to the machinery with which the fans are operating. In addition to the rotating fan blades being able to inflict injury upon contact with an individual, the blades also provide a potential risk to tools and equipment which, either through the carelessness or inattention of a user, interfere with blade rotation.
A blade guard assembly may be used to minimize the risk of contact between the rotating fan blades and other objects. Conventional fan guards, however, introduce additional problems and concerns. Because they are by necessity located close to the fan blades, they typically become a resting place for lint and debris drawn from the ambient atmosphere through the fan blades and carried therefrom by the created air flow. This debris, if allowed to collect on the fan guard, decreases the efficiency of the fan by blocking the air flow. It also often becomes dislodged from the guard in clumps or aggregates, and is then blown by the fan towards the very surfaces which the fan air wash is supposed to clean. In addition, the fan guard itself serves as a block to the air flow. The denser the guard, the greater its intrusion upon the air flow.
It is accordingly a purpose of the present invention to provide a fan guard which minimally intrudes upon the fan air flow.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a fan guard which minimizes the surface area upon which lint and other debris can collect.
Still another purpose of the present invention is to provide a fan guard having the previous attributes which may be of economical manufacture, and which may be simply installed upon, and used with, conventional fan units.